Day 21: Cooking/Baking

Title: Adventures In Baking

Summary: Dean enlists Castiel's help in baking Sam a birthday cake. Soon, he comes to regret this decision.

Notes: As Dean discovers, Cas is no Paula Dean. Not at all.

"Okay, I sent Sam to the library," Dean said as Cas appeared into the motel room, "Got the stuff?" Cas held out the cake mix in response, causing the eldest Winchester to grin at him.

"Why are you baking Sam a cake again?" Cas asked as Dean took the box from him and started pulling out the other ingredients.

"It's his birthday." Dean told him in explanation, causing Cas to stare at him curiously with a tilted head.

When Dean didn't continue, Cas said, "And?"

"It's a human thing," Dean told him, waving his hand in dismissal as he rolled his sleeves up, "You always get a cake to put candles on it."

"Why candles?" Cas asked with puzzlement.

Dean shrugged, "So the birthday boy or girl can blow them out."

Cas seemed baffled at his answer, responding, "Why put candles on it if someone is going to blow them out?"

Dean sighed, giving him an exasperated look, "You know, explaining everything to you is getting old. Learn to just smile and nod."

"I'll smile when the situation is appropriate." Cas muttered and nodded goodbye to him, looking on the verge of flying off when Dean held out a hand and stopped him.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Dean demanded with an arched eyebrow.

"I have no experience in baking," Castiel informed him, as if Dean thought they had Home Ec. up in Heaven, "Acquiring the ingredients is as far as my assistance can serve you."

"You don't need to be Paula Dean to cook." Dean told him with an eye-roll, clamping a hand around the angel's wrist and dragging him into the small kitchen, "Now come on, we're two grown men. Well..." He gave Cas a once over, "One grown man and a handicapped angel. I'm sure we can figure it out."

"Shit," Dean said, shifting through the silverware, "Cas, fly off and go get me a tablespoon, okay?"

Castiel's response was just a flutter of wings. He returned only a few seconds later. Dean was about to thank him when he glanced down and saw what he had in his hand, "Cas...that's just a spoon."

The angel tilted his head in confusion, "No, it's from a table at the restaurant across the street."

Dean's eyebrows shot up, "You stole this from a restaurant?"

"The customer wasn't using it." Castiel said defensively.

Dean sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Crack two eggs and don't let any shell get into the bowl." Dean told Castiel, giving the angel the carton as he turned around to turn on the oven. He realized his mistake when he heard two loud SPLATS. Dean didn't even have to turn around to know the angel just dropped them on the floor.

"Please tell me at least that was an accident." The hunter said in a sigh.

The angel paused before replying crossly, "I did what you said. None of the shell went into the bowl."

Dean groaned, "Goddammit, Cas."

"Now this is a wicked invention," Dean told him, setting the bowl down on the counter and sticking the electric mixer in it, "All you have to do is switch it on, and it does all the work for you."

He plugged it in and turned back around, eyes widening as Castiel flipped the on button, "NO—" He was cut off as chocolate goo splattered all over the kitchen.

Sam opened the door to find the motel room covered in a runny brown liquid, "Shit, what—" He stopped abruptly when he found Dean, covered in the liquid head-to-toe, waving a wooden spoon violently at Castiel.

"He sabotaged me!" Dean snapped in explanation. Sam took in his surroundings—the empty cake mix and chocolate covered bowl, the two broken eggs on the floor, Dean's thunderous expression and Castiel's bewildered gaze—as all the puzzle pieces finally clicked into place.

Sam let out a roaring laugh and grinned at Castiel, "Dude, best present ever!"

"It's not funny," Dean told him, pouting as Cas broke out into a hesitant smile, "This was my favorite shirt, dammit."

Once Sam finally got his laughter under control, he walked over and swiped his finger over the ruined bowl, coating it in chocolate. He licked his finger and nodded with appreciation, "Delicious." Sam smirked as he turned to his brother, "Wouldn't you agree, Dean?"

Birthday boy or not, Dean threw the wooden spoon at him.

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